The Division of Chemistry supports Landy Blasdel of Pennsylvania State University as an American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellow. Dr. Blasdel will investigate the mechanism of photoelectrocarboxylation of alkyl halides on semiconductor surfaces. Blasdel will work in collaboration with scientists at Penn State University and with collaborators at Brookhaven National Laboratory. In her plan for broadening participation, Dr. Blasdel will develop a Big Chemist - Little Chemist program, modeled after the Big Brother - Big Sister program, to work in a one-on-one setting with young people (elementary- through high-school age). She will work first with students in the State College School District, targeting girls and underrepresented minorities, followed, in the second year, with students in the Philadelphia area.
Research like that of Dr. Blasdel is aimed at developing new kinds of chemistry that take advantage of a plentiful resource -- carbon dioxide -- to make valuable commodity chemicals. The ultimate aim of research like this is to develop alternate routes to chemicals that are currently derived from fossil-fuel sources. The efforts at broadening participation being pursued by Dr. Blasdel are aimed at increasing the participation of young people from underrepresented groups in the sciences.
